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Statford-Upon-Avon is a must to visit should you be attending one of the many celebrations this summer in the UK! As part of the summer Olympic celebrations and 60th Year Celebration for the Queen, the UK is hosting the biggest ever Cultural Olympiad that began on Shakespeare's birthday in April 2012 and will run through October 2012. This World Shakespeare Festival will feature 70 theatrical productions from the Globe Theatre in London to the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon. Thirty-seven countries will perform thirty-six plays in thirty-seven languages over a six week period! Julius Caesar, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, Troilus and Cressida, King John, Richard III, Romeo and Juliet in Baghdad, The Tempest to mention but a few! Such events and productions are planned not only in London and Stratford but in many other cities throughout the UK.
What is noted here in photoshoot, is from the production Romeo and Juliet in Baghdad. The production company is from Iraq and production was brilliant! The battle and many of the same issues between the Sunni and Shia families "tribes" of today is no different from the day of Shakespeare or from the beginning of humankind for that matter!
A favorite visit while in the UK is to the charming city of Stratford where one can visit Shakespeare's actual home and birthplace along with the church where he and his beloved wife are buried. It is unusual that within the church itself along with the stain glass windows, statues of saints, one views the sculpture of Shakespeare himself! Truly a favorite son of this charming town.
There are many cobblestone streets to explore the many shops filled with Shakespeare memorabilia. What is suggested is that you consider getting many of the Shakespearean plays in children book form to give to grandchildren, so that they can be exposed to the wisdom of Shakespeare at an early age. Often adults, who are not familiar with the play they will be viewing that evening, will take a peek through these elementary editions to prepare themselves!
Stratford is located south of Warwickshire, England and I suggest you fly into Birmingham, the UK's second largest city. It is an enjoyable ride through the very cottage-like towns enroute to Stratford. You might like to stay at the Macdonald Alveston Manor in Stratford and view the famous ancient cedar tree on the grounds which hosted the first production of A Midsummer's Night Dream! You may also wish to take a Ghost Tour with the friendly chimney sweep and learn about the many spirits that still to this day roam the rooms and streets of Stratford!
June 23, 2023
